# CHAPTER 2 — THE BRIDE THEY NEVER EXPECTED
734 Words
The next morning, a black limousine arrived at the estate.
Haru had been reading when his door burst open.
His father stood there.
Expressionless.
Cold.
"Pack your things."
Haru blinked.
"Father?"
"You are leaving."
The book slipped from his hands.
"Leaving where?"
Dorian didn't answer.
Instead, he walked closer.
For the first time in years, Haru thought his father might finally look at him properly.
Instead, Dorian handed him a folder.
A contract.
Haru's eyes scanned the page.
Then stopped.
Bride.
Marriage.
Transfer of guardianship.
Payment.
His name.
His own name.
The room tilted.
"Father..."
His voice trembled.
"Please tell me this isn't real."
Silence.
"Father, please."
Nothing.
Then Dorian finally spoke.
"You should be grateful."
Haru stared at him.
Grateful?
"You've spent your entire life living under my roof."
The words struck harder than a slap.
"This is the first useful thing you'll ever do."
Something inside Haru shattered.
"Did I do something wrong?"
His voice barely rose above a whisper.
For a moment—
just one moment—
Dorian hesitated.
Then he answered.
"You were born wrong."
And walked away.
---
Hours later, Haru found himself inside a limousine.
The world rushed past outside the window.
The first world he had ever seen.
And he couldn't even enjoy it.
Because he had just learned he was worth less than a business deal.
Across from him sat two men from the Obsidian Court.
They watched him quietly.
Not cruelly.
Not kindly.
Just professionally.
"You should remain quiet when we arrive," one of them said.
Haru lowered his eyes.
"...Where am I going?"
The men exchanged a glance.
Then one answered.
"To your future husband's estate."
Haru froze.
The word husband felt unreal.
Then came the final blow.
"You are his bride."
The color drained from Haru's face.
"...Bride?"
"Your father agreed to the arrangement."
The silence that followed was unbearable.
---
By the time they arrived at the Obsidian Estate, Haru's hands would not stop shaking.
The mansion looked less like a home and more like a kingdom.
Black iron gates.
Towering walls.
Enough armed guards to start a war.
Haru stepped out.
Immediately, heads turned.
Then whispers began.
"That's the bride?"
"Wait..."
"That's a male omega."
Silence.
The whispers died instantly.
A man stepped forward.
Tall.
Dark-haired.
Sharp-eyed.
His presence commanded immediate respect.
Haru's heart lurched.
This had to be the boss.
The man everyone feared.
The man he had been sold to.
Without thinking, Haru stepped forward.
"Please..."
His voice cracked.
"I don't understand what's happening."
The man studied him.
Then his gaze narrowed.
"...Are you male?"
Haru blinked.
"Yes."
The hall exploded.
"What?"
"That's impossible."
"Check the contract."
Papers were snatched.
Pages flipped.
Voices rose.
The tall man grabbed the document himself.
Read it once.
Twice.
Three times.
The room grew quieter with every passing second.
Then his expression darkened.
Not with confusion.
With realization.
"The contract says Haru Avelin."
Silence.
A terrible silence.
One guard frowned.
"That's the name listed."
Another looked up sharply.
"Then his father knew exactly what he was doing."
The realization spread through the room like poison.
They had expected a daughter.
A female omega.
A bride.
Instead, they had been sent a hidden son no one had even mentioned.
The tall man's jaw tightened.
"Your father deceived us."
Haru flinched.
"No..."
But even he didn't believe it.
Not anymore.
The man turned away.
"Cassian."
A younger alpha stepped forward.
"Yes?"
"Prepare a report."
"What about the boy?"
A pause.
Then:
"The boss is still overseas."
Cassian glanced toward Haru.
"And until he returns?"
The tall man looked at Haru one final time.
Cold.
Unreadable.
"Put him in the east wing."
Another pause.
"When the boss comes home..."
His eyes darkened.
"...we'll decide what to do with him."
---
That night, Haru sat alone in a room larger than the entire wing he had grown up in.
The silence felt unfamiliar.
Dangerous.
Outside, the Obsidian Estate never slept.
Inside, Haru stared at the ceiling.
Unable to stop shaking.
Unable to stop thinking.
Unable to stop hearing his father's words.
You were born wrong.
Miles away, in another country, a black folder landed on a polished desk.
A man reached for it.
Opened it.
And stopped.
His eyes settled on a single name.
Haru Avelin.
The room fell silent.
Then the man smiled.
And suddenly, everyone around him looked nervous.
Because Dante Vercelli almost never smiled.
- Writer
